During the next two decades Carman changed the face of Christian music and evolved contemporary evangelism into what it is today. Carman established "Carman World Outreach," a non-profit organization that helps touch the lives of literally millions of people worldwide. Billboard Magazine recognized Carman's influence in Christian music by first naming him "Contemporary Christian Artist of the Year" in 1990. He has received numerous gold and platinum albums and videos. Even with all this success, the heartbeat of this Champion for Christ continues to beat strong for the souls of people who need Jesus. As an outflow of this passion, Carman had more than 50,000 people attend his "Music for Peace" crusade in Johannesburg, South Africa. These numbers topped the charts as his largest concert crusade ever, until more than 70,000 people packed the legendary Texas Stadium, making it the largest Christian concert in history.
For over 26 years, Carman has entertained, encouraged and preached the Gospel to millions-crossing denominational, cultural and ethnic lines. During this time, he has never compromised the call to take the Gospel to every person.
Carman died on February 16, 2021 (28 days after his 65th birthday) in a Las Vegas hospital, after a series of complications resulting from surgery to repair a hiatal hernia. He was survived by his ex-wife, five stepchildren and ten step-grandchildren.
A Witch's Invitation
Carman Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I picked up from my mailbox
The strangest looking letter I'd ever seen
A chilling little envelope
Bordered with flying bats and eerie serpents
Whose eyes were tinted green
That letter was addressed to me
So as I opened it, I froze
It said, "My name is Isaac Horowitz
I'm a male witch, a warlock
And I feel I need to spend some time with you"
Now, as a Christian from a little church
With God's call on my life
A man of faith and power with a challenge to grow
I did what any saint would do in my situation
I tore it up said, "Lord, no way I'm gonna go"
Then gently and methodically the Holy Spirit spoke
And reminded me, we're God's voice to our nation
It's the church's responsibility to witness
So reluctantly I accepted this
Witch's invitation
He had the house you'd expect
The old English cottage
A nightmare on Elm street special right to the core
The overgrown ivy
The gate that creaked when opened
Somehow you'd expect Freddy to answer this door
The doorbell rang a hollow gong
The knob twisted, then opened
And Isaac stood before me with a grin
His jet black hair and well-trimmed beard
Flowed with his black silk clothes
My skin crawled as he said
"Please come on in"
His house was filled
With every occultic symbol you could fathom
Hanging pentagrams and horoscope signs
A Ouija board and Dungeons and Dragons game set on the table
A crystal ball with an incandescent shine
Then graciously he handed me some steaming herbal tea
It's presence caused my memory to jog
I thought of every horror flick I'd seen when I was a kid
And thought, "Man, you drink this stuff, next day you'll be a frog"
Then he led me to a high-backed chair
As he meticulously began
To unfold his scenario with evil patience
I was given a giant leather-bound book,
Jammed with newspaper clippings
Thus the reason for this
Witch's invitation
With eagerness he pointed to each article with pride
He said, "I healed this woman through a Babylonian chant
You see this man? I cured him
While performing druid worship
I was paid to curse this man with AIDS by his aunt"
On and on, page after page
Delightfully he flaunted each incident for an hour, without a breath
He said, "Do you realize through my understanding of the dark regions
That I can make you rich? Or even curse someone to death?"
I sat literally intimidated
By his immensity in demon power
While his face shown with a Satanic arrogant bliss
Then placing his hands on the arms of my chair
And leaning into my face
He said, "What can your God do to compete with this?"
I knew then how Moses felt
When his rod turned to a serpent
And the three Egyptian magicians' did the same
It's as if you're sitting there in that stunned moment
while your faith gets violated
And all you feel is weak, powerless and lame
I desperately and deeply prayed saying, "Jesus give me wisdom
I don't wanna put you through some foolish test"
Then a shaft of light shot through my soul
Igniting my eyes with fire
God stood me up, and I threw the book back in his chest
I said, "Isaac
I'll not compare God's miracles versus Satan's
The issue's not God's kingdom and Satan's lair
The real comparison is the condition of your soul
And the condition of mine
And you puppet of the devil that I will compare"
I said, "My friend, one day they're coming for you
The soft associates in your incantations
The friendly demons you think you now control
The time will come when you'll be lying in bed
Wheezing like a dying animal
When those spirits lay claim to the rights they own to your soul
Then the room will grow dark
And the most hideous evil faces you've ever seen
Will come flaming out of the floor with a yell
The vile informants that promised reincarnation
Will claw your spirit and victoriously drag your soul to Hell"
Then I grabbed the book and says, "In that moment
Which mantra, which incantation you gonna chant
To tell them to leave you alone?"
I said, "My friend, I know beyond a shadow of a doubt what I would say
I am bought with the blood of Jesus, let me go"
I said, "Isaac, when you tossed that book in my lap
You glowed with a sinister victory
You rejoiced when you saw your name in black and white
Now I rejoice
But not that your counsel of demons are subject to Jesus
But that my name is written
In the lamb's book of life"
Then Isaac jumped up from his chair and screamed
"You must leave now"
I says, "I will, but one last obligation
Next time think twice before you rumble with a man of God
And by the way, thanks for your, urm
Witch's Invitation"
In Carman's song "A Witch's Invitation," the singer of the lyrics is a Christian who has been sent by the body of Christ as a warrant to take down a "lyin' thievin' rattlesnake" who has terrorized people and broken every law. The singer boldly confronts various unclean spirits including depression, strife, disease, and fear, and commands Satan to appear. He declares that he represents a whole new breed of Christian who is authorized and deputized to defeat the devil using the weapon of the word of his testimony and the blood of Jesus Christ. The song expresses a message of strength and courage in the face of evil and a belief in the power of faith.
Line by Line Meaning
Party's over, shut it down, I'm huntin' for someone y'all
The time for celebrating evil is over, and I am on the lookout for someone who is living in sin
He's a lyin' thievin' rattlesnake and he's broken every law
The person I am seeking is a deceitful, stealing criminal who has disregarded all moral codes
He's terrorized the lives of men and he's under arrest
The individual has caused fear and chaos among people, and they are now in custody
Because I've been sent with a warrant from the body of Christ
I have been authorized by the church to arrest and bring this person to justice
Well, tell me what it says then, "Satan, bite the dust!"
Please read the warrant to the accused, which states 'Satan, surrender and give up your evil ways'
Every one of you unclean spirits
This is directed towards all evil and corrupt spirits
I'm runnin' you outta town, depression, strife
I will drive away all negative feelings and emotions such as sadness and conflict
Disease and fear, your posse's goin' down
All sickness and fear, along with their associates, will be defeated
Boy, last tenderfoot who
The last inexperienced person who
Talked that big we sent him home in a box
Spoke arrogantly and was immediately defeated
But I know who I am through Jesus Christ
I have a clear understanding of my identity through my faith in Jesus
So I talk to you demons like dogs
I address any evil spirits with authority and dominance, as if they are mere animals
Satan you coward, you molester of souls, I command you to appear
I order Satan, who preys on and victimizes people's souls, to show himself and face the consequences of his actions
You're hidin' from the presence of God but
You are avoiding facing judgment by God, but
I can feel your fear from here
I can detect your fear, even from a distance
You rattled my chain, boy, long enough, you
You have been provoking and challenging me for a long time
Got something in your craw?
Do you have a problem with me or something to say?
A praying church wants you to know, know what?
The church is sending a message to you that
Your kingdom's gonna fall
Your authority over people will be dismantled and destroyed
There's gonna be trouble here tonight
There will be conflict and confrontation tonight
'Cause I represent a whole new breed of Christian of today
I am part of a new generation of Christians who are strong and uncompromising
And I'm authorized and deputized to blow you clean away
I have the power and authority to defeat and eliminate you completely
I've got a message to deliver from One who's true and just
I have a message to convey from a truly righteous source
We'll spit in your eye you father of lies
We will boldly confront and challenge you, a deceptive leader
Satan, bite the dust!
Surrender and abandon your evil ways, Satan!
Boy, you gonna take me on and my unholy herd?
Are you prepared to confront me and my group of believers?
Not only take you on, but take you out by the Spirit and the Word
I will not only confront you, but also defeat you through the power of the Holy Spirit and holy scripture
One by one you'll drop like flies under foot and in the ground
You and your followers will gradually diminish and become powerless
Because greater is He who is in me
I am not alone, as I have the Holy Spirit within me, which is more powerful than you
Than the snake I'm starin' down
Greater than the enemy I am confronting
You demon of alcoholism, you'll be the first to go
You, the evil spirit of alcoholism, will be the first to be defeated
There's deliverance from you through Jesus Christ, so, hit the road!
People can be freed from your influence through faith in Jesus, so leave immediately
You spirit of infirmity you ain't welcome here no more
I reject and banish the spirit of sickness and weakness from this place
We lay hands on the sick and they recover so, out the door!
We have the power to heal the sick through prayer, so the spirit of sickness should leave now
You demon of false religion you've preyed on minds so simple
You, the evil spirit of false religion, have misled and deceived people who are easily manipulated
I bind the spirit of your songs, so el kabong! Play that in your temple!
I restrict and forbid the spread of your false and misleading messages, so you cannot influence people any longer
Now Satan you're next in line, I'm gonna hit you where it hurts
You, Satan, are the main target, and I will attack you in the areas where you are most vulnerable
'Cause I'm tired of you in my family and I'm tired of you in my church
I am fed up with your presence in my personal life and in the community of believers
I'm not my own, I'm bought with a price, I'm a Holy Ghost filled man
I belong to God, who paid the ultimate sacrifice, and I am filled with the Holy Spirit
And I'm tollin' the bell of your eternal destruction 'cross the land
I am announcing and declaring your ultimate downfall and destruction to everyone
I've got a weapon with two bullets that overcome all sin and crud
I possess a powerful weapon that has the ability to defeat all evil and sinful behaviors
One bullet is called the word of my testimony
One part of my weapon is my testimony regarding my experience with God's power and goodness
And the other one's called The Blood
The other part of my weapon is the sacrificial Blood of Jesus Christ
Satan, bite the dust!
Surrender and abandon your evil ways, Satan!
Bite the dust!
Be defeated and destroyed!
Well how do you feel about that, devil?
What is your reaction to my declaration and confrontation, Satan?
I'm afeelin' mighty low
I feel weak and defeated
Good!
That is the desired outcome for you, as you are an enemy of God and His people
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Capitol CMG Publishing, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: Brian Keith Thomas, Dominic Licciardello
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
crazysingingchick
Rest In Peace, brother. You’re celebrating Jesus in person now. See ya later. 💗
Andrew Levario
Don't worry you'll be next, but before you leave this world.
Do you know Jesus?
Nicole Perez
@Juliet Salinas The words you chose are very interesting. A person that does not give their life over to Christ shall have a worm consume them that never dies and fire that burns on them that shall never extinguish. I would caution you not talk about a child of God. There is forgiveness for all of us that have life now. Once this life is over there is no second chance. EVERYTHING is about JESUS and what he wants, nothing else matters. He is the creator and we are the created.
SlickTKSavage356
I hope to see him up there in Heaven one day
Juliet Salinas
He's nothing more than Trump-loving worm food. He's decomposing just like everyone else.
Tricia Henry
I just found out today and I am upset that Google didn't tell me. This man was one of many singers (Michael Jackson, David Bowie to name a few) who helped me realize that I love to sing and listening to music.
Nick Lavender
Rest in Peace Carman. As a kid growing up in the 80's and 90's, your music was a huge influence to me. You taught us to be courageous and to never back down from the evil of this world. You have now gone on to your eternal reward! Mission 3:16, and Satan Bite the Dust will be 2 of my all time favorites!
Small Town Girl Big City Heart
@NickLavender I grew up in the 80’s and 90’s too! My Grandma used to put Carmen on for me to watch. She watched TBN all of the time and would put Carmen on since she knew I would rather watch him than a bunch of older people who we’re most definitely not as cool as Carmen was! 😂😂 I didn’t know he had passed until I read the comments section. I pray he didn’t suffer too awfully hard. Cancer is evil.
America Again is one of my favorites! I can’t remember the other ones…it feels like it’s been an eternity!
Just Jeph
And The Champion movie...
DON’T CHEAT YOURSELF TREAT YOURSELF
That’s right I’m a child of the 90s right yeee brotha!